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Sell time, Buy time?

October 8, 2006 — smallpanda

Slivers-of-Time is a new way of working. You list the hours you would like to work and local employers buy them. The Slivers-of-Time programme is funded jointly by the UK government and private companies.

Many people can only be available for work at irregular times. Many companies and parts of government need to top up their workforce for peak periods, which can come unexpectedly. At the moment, these irregular bookings of temporary labour carry too many overheads and are too likely to cause problems. That is now changing…. with Silvers-of-Time.
Benefit to Employers:-

For employers, this new marketplace means the end of muddling through short staffed because of unpredictable requirements. It can cut the overtime bill and bring in new pools of staff who want to work at the times you need them. Induct a pool of Slivers-of-Time workers and you have a pre-trained additional workforce to be turned on and off as required.

Some Type of Work that one (time sellers) can do :-

Call centre/Customer service

Answering calls from the public

Making calls

Helping customers fill out a form

Directing customers to the right department

Typing data into a computer

Sales/Interviewing

Asking questions from a form and writing in answers

Explaining the benefits of a product or service

Approaching members of the public with questions

Handing out leaflets

Teaching

One-to-one coaching

Explaining how a computer works

Help with basic literacy/numeracy

Assisting people as they begin work

=> I think this is a great programme having backing of Govt and this will support many small scale and large scale organisation to leverage seller’s time(flexi employee) without getting them on board with all the hassles of employment criteria and operational issues. Such programme will help UK industry continue to leverage the local employment market and not depend solely on low cost offshoring.

It is amazing that the UK introduces excellent and favourable conditions for employment market in comparison with USA. For instance any skilled worker anywhere in the world can come and search for work in UK legally and without having an employer (through HSMP)!! Dependent work permit holder can legally work. Whereas in USA, even a high skilled dependent can’t work!! and worst is you need a H1 sponsor to get you inside USA. Many of my friends are living in USA for last 7 years and their wives can’t work although they are skilled like MBA, Bachelors of engineering in IT, etc

Good that UK industry is still competitive in introducing innovative schemes.